Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting cabelas alaskan guide 4 person tent

Went thru a day and half wind/rain/snow storm in Alaska in the Cabelas tent and it survived unscathed. The aluminum poles are definitely the way to go. That tent rocked all night but never gave in. I'm sold.

I used this tent for a week in MT and saw some high winds. I stayed upright, but the guy with me did wake up in the middle of the night to re-position the poles as the soft dirt we were camped on were allowing them to move some. All in all, for car camping I think their great! Do a search for posts by TxTrapper as he converted the Kodiak version to be usable with a wood stove. Pretty slick IMO.

I've no problem setting up my tents, and I'm a little feller, though I wouldn't want to drape on the fly of the 10x10 alone in a big wind.
I rewrote the instructions to suit myself. Put them in real and best sequence, step by step, and verified it all by erecting and tearing down the tent several times in the backyard. Then printed them out on weather-proof paper for field use.
(I'm not always that anal, BTW )

I have had one of the 6 man models since 2000. I have used it at least 3 weeks per year in Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Alaska. It is a great tent and it has held up very well. I would advise getting the aluminum poles. They are lighter and significantly stronger. I have the fiberglass poles on my tent but a friend of mine has the aluminum poles. I have had to repair two of my poles over the years due to heavy wind.

Chet

Yes!

Can you fit a cot in the 4

I apologize for bump an old topic from the dead, just have a few interesting observations from personal experience, maybe someone will need this information in the future.
I have sent my Cabela's 6 man guide model back 2 times, and at no charge have recieved a new one, new poles, and rain fly.
Several years ago I bought my first one with the Aluminum poles and took it on a float trip over on the Alaska peninsula.
with only a small thicket of Alders and Willows to protect us, the 80 mph winds tore the tent up. bent the Aluminum poles and wore holes in the fly.
The same storm tore up and flipped a plane that was tied down at the King Salmon Airport. Two planes were damaged so bad they were not able to fly over in Naknek too.
I sent the tent back to Cabela's and told them what happened. I got a new tent back. I recieved a phone call from the people that designed the Guide model and they had set up my damaged tent to see what failed.
I told them to just put the tent in a wind tunnel and fire it up to 80 mph with gust a little higher and then add a fire hose aimed it on full to recreate the event.
I don't use either one of my Guide models anymore because I do mostly float trips and they are not easy to set up in rain and take down and then set up again each day.. their are different brands and models that set up take down alot faster..these models will keep you dry and hold up in the rough weather,,( I have a Eureka that I really like now) but I would take the guide model with me for drop camps etc. where I was camping in one spot for a week or longer at a time. I sent the newer Guide model back once too due to rub holes in the material from high winds over a 3 day event on a different trip..
My next door neighbor bought the other tent you suggested from Cabelas https://bestoutdooritems.com/best-canvas-tents/ ( can't remember the name) .. I think he got the 4 man...and he uses it on the Haul road etc. He is a road side camper and he likes it ok. He bought the kit that you can get to set it up in the rain.
I have sent one of my Guide models over to Kodiak with a friend of mine on two different spring Bear trips and he said it is the cats meow for those trips. He stays in the tent for 2 weeks at a time and enjoys the room and the ability to stand up, Also when set up properly, with a drop cloth underneath, you can really stay dry in really rainy trips.. like Kodiak and the Peninsula
I have the big Vestibule for both tents and they are really nice. But,,
Now I just set up a little two man tent to throw gear into to keep it dry and out of my tent rather than use the vestibule. The Vestibule has no floor in it and comes only with the flimsy fiberglass poles. (these failed first on the big wind trips,,)
Anyway... I give Cabelas a thumbs up for good gear and warranty..
if you don't like it for any reason..send it back... they are always good for it... I also would not buy the tent unless I got the Aluminum poles.. that makes it lighter and like twice as strong than the Fiberglass ones...
As for picking one over anouther??? My neighbor Bob says he can't tell the difference. He has stayed in both mine and is his.. lots of room, and dry....

I have tthe Xtreme Weather Tent in 10x10 and it has held up in snow and wind with no problemsBUT as I get older (mid 60's) I am looking at a tent that is easier to put up by myself. Currently I am checking out the Kodiak tents it looks to be heavy but a lot quicker and easier to put up by my self.


BTW last I checked the XWT is no longer on Cabelas web site

I have a Cabelas Outback Lodge

The 12x12 is hard to beat for the money.

This is a backpacking forum, not a camping forum. We don't have a camping forum. So where do you post a question regarding a tent that is obviously not intended for backpacking? I don't know. I guess this place is as good as any.

So regarding your question about the Cabelas Alaska Guide tents. They are heavy and as as sturdy as any tent on the market. But you don't need a tent like that for camping in the lower forty-eight and you don't need to spend that much money.

If you are determined to buy a tent that is way over designed for the conditions, then before you buy the Guide tent, I suggest that you also take a look at the Cabelas Instinct line of tents. The Instinct line of tents is the most recent iteration of the Guide tent. I have the 6-man version with aluminum poles. It has six main structural poles and two more for vestibules and roof. I switched out the steel tent pegs for big solid aluminum pegs and the total package weighs less than 25#. It is as sturdy as the Guide tent and it weighs about 1/3 as much as the Guide tent. You say why is that important for a base camp tent? Because everything is easier when the tent weighs 25# not 80#. Also if you intend someday to hunt in Alaska, you will have to carry your gear on the plane as checked baggage. In that situation an 80# tent just doesn't fly, literally.

There are many big tents that are designed for 3-season use. The REI Base Camp-6 tent is one and it's a lot easier to set up than either the Guide tent or the Instinct tent. I used my REI Base Camp-6 tent on the beach of Kodiak Island when we were hunting Sitka Blacktails. We tied it down properly using all the extra tie down loops and ropes and it stood up fine to a week of 40 MPH winds.

Someone mentioned a wall tent. You know canvas tents are out of vogue these days. Just the same, a small canvas wall tent is still an excellent choice for base camping in the lower 48, specially if it has an internal frame. But it takes as long to properly set up wall tents as it does to set up the Guide tent. The big advantage of a wall tent is that since it doesn't have a floor, you can run a small wood burner stove in it.

KC

I also have a Kodiak and is a great tent. Sturdy and is easily put alone. I can fit 2 cots easily in it with a lot of room to spare. Can't say enough good about them.

My MIL has one that my wife and I have used a few times. It's not real fast to set up, but it sure can take a hellova wind! The last time we used it there was a pretty serious thunder storm with wind gusts sniffing 70 mph.

We were visiting some friends at the time and I thought we'd have to track down the tent when we got back. I was shocked to see it standing when we got back. Even more shocked that it looked like it didn't suffer a scratch. It's a damn good tent.

I also have the Kodiak canvas....10x10 model with the front awning......I spent 14 days straight in it last year and 15 the year before last......It went thru some pretty good storms and High winds.....Held up like a Champ....no leaks......It also is very easy to heat.....Turn the Buddy Heater on low and crack the windows....I can sleep on top of the air mattress in my under wear in 25 to 30 degree weather....I got mine on sale for 380 shipped...

God I loved the Guide tent when we discovered it in the late 90’s. I had both the 4man and the 6 man The absolutely best part of that tent was the deluxe vestibule, the ability to relax , cook, play cards and ride out bad weather without laying in a sleeping bag made that thing priceless. Not to mention taking off wet or muddy clothes,boots,waders, etc. In addition to many moose hunts, I used it on Kodiak and on the Peninsula on a Bear Hunt. Winds weren’t too bad on Kodiak, maybe 40 mph which is nothing for that tent but we had it in 70+ mph on the peninsula and because of the surface area of the 6 man which is what I took for that trip, it wanted to collapse. We stacked action packers on the windward side and took turns sitting on them all night to keep the tent from self destructing. We had some good laughs watching each other getting beat up with our backs to the wall getting pounded. Many good memories in the big green monster!

Kodiak




Peninsula

I have the 6 man, buddy has the 8. Great tents, always been dry and secure, even in some good storms. Not light, but great quality.

Found a couple pics

I like the 4-man tent because it has a lower profile (better in the high wind), is lighter in weight (sometimes 6-10 pounds matters), has a smaller footprint (finding a halfway suitable to pitch a tent is often difficult so smaller is better) and it's plenty big for two guys and gear. The 6-man and 8-man are both more of the same so long as the size and weight isn't an issue. They're a lot of tent for the money.

Tag

Have to agree.... good tents. Reasonably light for the square footage, and pretty solid.

Not my favorite tent to pitch by myself in the wind, and not perfect for use with cots. But certainly doable.